Kankakee Times

Members of the Kankakee County Executive Committee met Thursday, Feb. 25.

Here are the meeting minutes as provided by the Kankakee County Executive Committee:

Executive Committee Meeting

February 25, 2016

MINUTES

Members Present

Mr. Bossert, Mr. Byrne, Mr. Tripp, Mr. Washington, Mr. LaGesse, Mr. Stauffenberg, Mr. Hess, Mr. Mulcahy, and Mr. Einfeldt

Members Absent

Mr. Vickery, Mr. James, and Mr. Olthoff

In Attendance

- Board Members

- Department Heads

Lori Gadbois, Kevin Duval, and Michael Roof

- Media

None

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. Bossert, at 9:00 a.m. Quorum present.

2. Public Comment

3. Presentations

4. Approval of Minutes – January 28, 2016

A motion to approve the minutes was made by Mr. Stauffenberg, and seconded by Mr. Hess. Motion carried with a voice vote.

5. Legislative

Mr. Bossert stated that the legislature is under way, and the budget impasse continues. There are some requests for information from our lobbying groups, the organizations that we belong to, trying to gather cost analysis on, for instance, increased cost on jury duty and jury assemblies because of the increased mandated pay. There is a movement to pass repeal of what was passed last year, or make some adjustments.

6. Information Services

Mr. Duval spoke to the committee specifically about the 4th Floor Board Room and its’ P.A. system. It is a 20 year old sound system, and they’re starting to have erratic things happen. This is not a good sign as it means something is going out. This would not be in his budget since it would be a fifth floor Administration issue. It’s not a matter of simply replacing the amplifier, which is a relatively inexpensive cost. The whole sound system needs to be looked at, not just the amplifier. He stated that the cost of this doesn’t need to be permanently put into the budget because if they do decide to replace it, it would be a one-time occurrence, and shouldn’t have to be touched for another 15 years. To do this, they would need to budget anywhere from $15,000-$30,000. It would be a matter of the amplifier and all of the lines that run underneath the floor. Everything would have to be moved out, dug up, and re-wired, so it’s an extensive process. No one would have use of the room during that time. This is one of the reasons that it has been put off, because it’s a major upheaval. Everything is working right now, but it’s very erratic, so he wanted the committee to be aware of the problem and maybe consider doing it during the summer if the money is available.

Mr. Hess asked if there are runs underneath the floor.

Executive

Committee Meeting

February 25, 2016

Mr. Duval said, yes, all of the microphones go to it and they are permanently installed under the floor. If he understood it right, when Ruder was in there explaining it to him, the company who installed it in the first place had to run all the lines from underneath the floor below.

7. Health Department

8. Schools

9. Veterans Assistance Commission

- Monthly Reports

A motion to approve the monthly reports was made by Mr. Hess, and Mr. Tripp seconded it. Motion carried with a voice vote.

Mr. Roof stated that they will have three graduations in Veterans’ Court in March. One will be March 3rd, and will be a very private ceremony. The veteran has asked not to have a public ceremony like they’ve had in the past with press and everyone else. On March 24th, there will be two graduates, so if anyone can make it, it will be at 2:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Courthouse, Room 300.

Mr. Roof stated that the Supreme Court of Illinois and the Association of Illinois Courts have passed a law that any problem-solving Court, such as Veterans’ Court, Drug Court, and Mental Health Court, now has to be certified. The certification process is a twelve page check list of items they need to have and submit.

The Courts in Illinois have made this mandated. To go through the certification process, you prepare and submit the paperwork, then someone from the AOIC comes and visits your court in action, and prepares and submits a report. If you’re certified, it’s good for three years. If not totally approved, they can make recommendations and let you continue to be quasi-certified for a year. They’ll check back with you to make sure that you are making improvements. The legislature passed a law that states what kind of cases cannot be accepted in Veterans’ Court, and there are probably eight charges that cannot be accepted. Cook County doesn’t take domestic battery, but we do. Will County doesn’t take DUI’s, but we do. They want everyone to be the same using the same structure. He stated that his team doesn’t have any worries about passing this, so they just have to get the paperwork in.

Mr. Roof stated that they have been receiving money from the Illinois Vets’ Cash Grant for the past five or six years. Last year, they received $30,000, and they’re still using it. That finishes up in May, but they are not going to reapply when that grant’s gone since they are having trouble spending it. The money goes for free dental and vision care for veterans who are indigent. What they’ve had to do lately is expand their eligibility for it. They follow the Federal Poverty guidelines, but they’ve loosened that up just a little bit to allow expenditure of the rest of the money from the grant so they don’t have to send any back. He stated that, if anyone knows a veteran who needs dental work, send them to the VAC office. Mr. Roof stated that they also received another $700 anonymous donation. They get that about every six months.

Mr. Hess asked if there was a chance that they didn’t apply for that grant, and then try to reapply, they might be bumped out of it.

Mr. Roof stated probably not because it’s co-run by the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and Illinois Lottery System. The Director for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs said two years ago that they looked at the list of people getting the money, and the same people keep getting the money every year.

They want to expand it and give smaller amounts to those people who have been getting it, and find new groups who could use the money. Since he came into office, it has gone down from $60,000 to $30,000, but he doesn’t think that they will get totally denied or locked out of it.

Personnel/HR Issues

Mr. Bossert stated that they are continuing to work on the transition on the payroll system and the related activities with benefits and benefit reporting.

11. Administrative Issues

a. Reappointments/Appointments

- Reappointment of Peter Viall to the Kankakee County Farmland Assessment Review

Committee

A motion was made by Mr. Stauffenberg to accept the reappointment and Mr. Mulcahy seconded it.

Discussion

Mr. Stauffenberg asked if any of the committee members ever go to the Farmland Assessment Review Committee meeting.

Mr. Bossert stated that it’s an once a year open meeting to review the analysis and statistics that are provided by the Department of Revenue as to the assumed income and expenses related to each level of soil type. It’s a chance for the local residents and the county to have some input on that process.

Original motion carried with a voice vote.

- Appointment of Holly Froning to the Kankakee County Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors

A motion was made by Mr. Tripp to accept the appointment and Mr. Washington seconded it. Motion carried with a voice vote.

- Appointment of Robert Snavely to the Kankakee County Regional Planning Commission

A motion was made by Mr. LaGesse to accept the appointment and Mr. Stauffenberg seconded it. Motion carried with a voice vote.

- Appointment of David DeYoung to the Kankakee County Zoning Board of Appeals

A motion was made by Mr. Hess to accept the appointment and seconded by Mr. Einfeldt. Motion carried with a voice vote.

- Appointment of Shari Ebert to the Kankakee County Historic Preservation Commission

A motion was made by Mr. Mulcahy to accept the appointment and seconded by Mr. Byrne. Motion carried with a voice vote.

- Appointment of John Fetherling as Chairman of the Kankakee County Zoning Board of Appeals

- Appointment of Bill Hemm as Vice-Chairman of the Kankakee County Zoning Board of Appeals

A motion was made by Mr. Hess to combine and accept both appointments. The motion was seconded by Mr. Washington. Motion carried with a voice vote.

a. Openings

- One Opening on the Kankakee Valley Airport Authority currently held by Rende O. Langlois

Mr. Bossert announced the above opening.

12. Other Business

13. Information

Mr. Bossert stated that the Finance Committee Meeting was delayed a week. Mr. McCarty was working on getting the books turned over to the outside auditors which consumed a lot of time and detail work, so it just seemed better to delay that meeting a week.

14. Old Business/New Business

15. Adjournment

A motion to adjourn at 9:35 a.m. was made by Mr. LaGesse, and seconded by Mr. Mulcahy.

Mike Bossert, Chairman

Diane Owens, Executive Coordinator